Lighting fixtures



Dec. 9, 1958 V. WlNCE LIGHTING FIXTURES s 'shee cs sheet 1' Filed Aug.15, 1955 ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1958 v. s. WINCE 2,8

LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed Aug. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I INVENTOR VARL ,5". M

ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1958 v. ShWlNCE LIGHTING FIXTURES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Aug. 15, 1955 R \\,\\M\\W, \W l B.

lNVENTOR 145424 .5. Mama LIGHTING FIXTURES Vearl S. Wince, Newark, Ohio,assignor to Holophane Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation ofDelaware Application August 15, 1955, Serial No. 528,263

6 Claims. (Cl. 240--78) The present invention relates to lightingfixtures and is more particularly directed to lighting fixtures adaptedto be recessed into the ceiling.

In recessed fixtures using incandescent lamps the heat generated makesit desirable to provide an outlet box adjacent the fixture to which thehouse wires may be connected and from which fixture wiring of the slowburning wire may be employed to carry the connections from the outletbox to the lamp socket associated with the recessed fixture.

The present invention contemplates recessed lighting fixtures adapted tobe installed in the ceiling and carry as a fixed part thereof the outletbox to which the house wiring may be connected. According to the presentinvention, the lamp box is provided with a large opening in its upper ortop wall through which a workman can reach to make the splices in theoutlet box and through which one can look at the splices whenevernecessary to inspect the same.

According to the present invention, the large opening at the top of thelamp box is closed by a downwardly removable preferably dome shapedclosure member which can be secured in place to close the top of thebox. When the closure member for the lamp box is lowered, completeaccess is provided for inspection of splicing and the making of splices,and when the closure is fastened in position it is possible to have thelamp carried in a completely closed lamp box.

The accompanying drawings show for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention two embodiments in which the invention may take form it beingunderstood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention withoutlimiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of lighting fixture wherein thelamp box closure member carries the lamp socket and is mechanicallyconnected with the outlet box by flexible cable, parts being broken awayto show interior construction;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2.2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

. Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the closure member ofFigure 1 lowered and hanging from the flexible cable;

Figure 5 is an inverted sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 6showing a modified form of construction in which the lamp socket andwiring are carried directly by the lamp box;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5and showing the lamp box closure member lowered in full lines and innormal position in dot and dash lines;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken on the broken line 77 of Figure5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

nited States Patent ice Figures 8 and 9 are sections on lines 8-8 and9-9 respectively, of Figure 7.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the ceilingline is indicated at CL. The lamp box is in the form of a walledenclosure 10 with bottom flanges 11 adapted to engage the ceilingsurfacing material. The box is usually square as shown in the drawings.It carries a hinge mechanism generally indicated at 12 for the supportof lens frame '13 adapted to carry a lens plate indicated at 14.

The top 15 of the box is provided with a large hole or opening 16'. Abracket arm 17 is suitably secured to the lamp box as for example byscrews indicated at.

1818. The bracket 17 is channel shaped to provide stiffness, and anoutlet box 20 is fixedly secured to the bracket in any suitable manner.The outlet box has knock-outs 21 in the side walls and back wall asusual, and is provided with a removable cover 22 to provide access tothe interior of the outlet box. House wiring 23 is secured to the outletbox 20 in the usual manner.

Also secured to the outlet box is a short length of flexible cable 24having slow burning asbestos covered fixture wires 25. The other end ofthis flexible cable is secured to a bracket member 26 which carries ascrewshell type lamp socket 27. The contacts of the lamp socket areconnected to the wires 25 in the usual manner. The socket supportbracket 26 is secured to an arched or dome shaped closure member 27 byscrewsindicated at 28, 28. The closure member 27 has an outwardlyextending flange 29 adapted to be secured against the underface of top15 of the lamp box by screws 30 and an opening 31 opposite the lampsocket to receive& lamp bulb L. It may or may not be a reflector.

The lamp box 10 with outlet box 20 permanently secured to it may bemounted in the ceiling in any suitable manner and the ceiling completelyfinished. Wiring 23 may be brought to the outlet box in the usualmanner. The flexible cable 24 is attached to the outlet box in the usualmanner and the wires spliced to the house wires when the cover plate 22is off the outlet box and the closure member 27 is hanging down asindicated in Figure 4. At this time, there is adequate room, forexample, a ten inch opening, through which to pass both hands and reachinto the outlet box to make the splices.

After the splices are. made, the outlet box cover 22 may be replaced andthe closure 27 fastened up in place. At any time when one wishes toinspect the wiring, it is merely necessary to disconnect the closure 27and lower it and remove the outlet box, whereupon one can look upthrough the lamp box into the outlet box and observe the conditions.

The lamp box shown in Figures 1 and 2 is designed to employ a prismaticglass reflector 35 with a generally square bottom flange rounded at thecorners, as indicated at 36 in Figure 1. Fixed brackets 37 on the righthand side of Figures land 2 support one side of the prismatic reflector.The other side of the reflector is supported'by brackets 38 pivotallymounted as indicated at 39. These brackets have outwardly extending feet40 which may be moved from the full line position of Figure l, wherethey are under the prismatic reflector, to the dotted line position ofFigure 1, where they free the reflector so that it can be removed.

In the modified form of construction illustrated in Figures 5 to 9inclusive, a shallower lamp box is indicated at 50. It has laterallyextending ears 51 slotted as indicated at 52 and adapted to receivehorizontal mounting strips 53, so that it can be supported to this loweredge substantially flush with the ceiling line CL. The lamp box supportsa finishing ring 54 which in turn carries a hinged lens frame 55provided with a lens n :2 56. The supports for the finishing frame andlens frame form no part of the present invention.

An outlet box 60 having the usual cover 60 is secured to a bracket 61which in turn is secured to the top 62 of the lamp box by screws 63.These screws pass through insulating washers 64 which form spacers andcut down conduction of heat. The outlet box 60 is connected to the housewiring 65 in the usual manner. Slow burning fixture Wires 66 are splicedto the house wiring inside the outlet box 60. They pass down through ahole 67 in the bracket 61 through an opening in the side of the lamp box68 and extend about the undersurface of the lamp box as indicated. Thewires are supported by clips 69 and pass up through an opening 70 in thetop of the lamp box where they are secured to a lamp socket 71 mountedon the lamp box. The portions of the wires 66 outside the lamp box andbelow the bracket 61 are covered by a protecting cover plate 72 held inplace by screw 73.

The top of the lamp box 59 is provided with a large opening 75 throughwhich one can reach to make splices and can look at the splices in theoutlet box, when the outlet box cover 60 is removed. A closure 76, of asize to pass up through the opening 75 in the top of the lamp box, has aflange 77 to permit securing it in place by screws 78. This closuremember has an extension 79 adapted to extend under the lamp socket 70and acts as the reflector. The structure shown in Figures 5 to 9inclusive, is one particularly well adapted for use with smaller unitssuch as those accommodating lenses eight inches square.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other formsand constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to beunderstood that the particular forms shown are but two of these forms,and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture in the form of a unitary, preasscmbled structureadapted for recessed mounting in a ceiling and for connection to housewiring and including a downwardly opening combination rough-in box andlamp box with the walls thereof forming the walls of the lightingfixture and having a large opening in the top thereof through which aworkman can reach to splice wires, a flange on the top periphery of saidcombination rough-in box and lamp box; an outlet box means for removablymounting the outlet box on the lamp box when the lamp box is mounted inthe ceiling, said outlet box having a removable cover facing the upperlamp box opening so that one can reach through the opening in the top ofthe lamp box and into the outlet box to make splices, a local lampcircuit including a lamp socket and wiring extending from the outlet boxto the lamp socket, and a downwardly removable closure member for theupper lamp box opening secured to said flange which when in position,closes the top of the lamp box, the lamp socket being so located that alamp carried thereby projects into the lamp box.

2. The lighting fixture claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp socket issecured to the closure member, the wiring is in a flexible cable whichis secured to the outlet box and closure, and the closure member isadapted to hang on the end of the cable.

3. The lighting fixture claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp box closuremember is arched, the lamp socket is secured to the closure, and thewiring is in a flexible cable which is secured to the outlet box and theclosure so as to support the closure in hanging position when theclosure is disconnected from the lamp box.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a unitary, preassembled structureadapted for recessed mounting in a ceiling and for connection to housewiring and including a downwardly opening combination rough-in box andlamp box with the walls thereof forming the walls of the lightingfixture and having a large opening in the top thereof through which aworkman can reach to splice wires, a flange on the top periphery of saidcombination rough-in box and lamp box; an outlet box having a removablecover facing the upper lamp box opening so that one can reach throughthe opening in the top of the lamp box and into the outlet box to makesplices, means for detachably mounting the outlet box on the lamp boxwhile the lamp box is mounted in the ceiling. a local lamp circuitincluding a lamp socket and wiring extending from the outlet box to thelamp socket, a downwardly removable arched closure member for the upperlamp box opening secured to said flange which when in position, closesthe top of the lamp box, the lamp socket being so located that a lampcarried thereby projects into the lamp box, a lens frame hingcdlysecured to the lamp box, and a lens carried by the lens frame.

5. The lighting fixture claimed in claim 4 in which said closure memberis a downwardly acting reflector disposed about the lamp.

6. A lighting fixture comprising a combination roughin box and lamp boxwalled enclosure adapted to be mounted with its lower edge substantiallyflush with the ceiling the walls thereof forming the walls of thelighting fixture, the top of the enclosure having a relatively largeopening through which a workman can reach to splice wires, a flange onthe top periphery of said combination rough-in box and lamp box; an armcarried by the upper part of the enclosure and extending laterally fromthe opening; an arm carried outlet box adapted to receive supply wiringand having a removable cover on the face toward the opening to permitaccess for the making of splices therein to house wiring, a lamp socketsecured to the lamp box and adapted to carry a lamp bulb in a positionto project over the opening, wiring connecting the socket and outletbox, and a downwardly removable, arched closure member, secured to thellangc on the top of the lamp box to close the opening therein andhaving an opening to accommodate the lamp bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,602,881 Pryne July 8, 1952 2,630,521 Kirlin Mar. 3, 1953 2,639,368Pryne May 19, 1953 2,741,695 Schockett Apr. 10, 1956

